Columbus Crew SC vs. FC Dallas | MLS Match Preview

MLSsoccer staff

COLUMBUS CREW SC vs FC DALLAS
MAPFRE STADIUM, Columbus, Ohio
September 6, 2015 (WEEK 27, MLS Game #272)
7 p.m. ET (FS1 / FOX Deportes; MLS LIVE)

A pair of clubs who share a common bond from the start meet for the only time this season when Columbus Crew SC play host to FC Dallas on Sunday evening at Mapfre Stadium before a FOX Sports 1 audience. Once operated by the same investment group, both teams consolidated their holds on playoff positions in their respective conferences last weekend. Crew SC return home following a 2-1 win against New York City FC at Yankee Stadium, while FC Dallas hit the road off of a 2-0 win against Real Salt Lake at Toyota Stadium.

Crew SC won their second consecutive match and extended their undefeated run to four games, with Federico Higuaín scoring a goal and adding an assist in a 2-1 win against New York City SC on Saturday afternoon at Yankee Stadium.
FC Dallas snapped a three-game losing skid – which followed a five-game winning run – defeating Real Salt Lake 2-0 on Saturday evening at Toyota Stadium.
Crew SC have a three-game undefeated streak alive in the series with FC Dallas, with two wins followed by a scoreless draw in the only meeting between the teams a season ago, June 29 in Columbus.
The Crew have won four of the six league meetings since at home with FCD, with two draws. When Crew SC won 4-2 at Toyota Stadium on Sept. 29, 2013, it was their first win in Frisco since 2008.

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REFEREE: Baldomero Toledo. AR1 (bench): Adam Garner; AR2 (opposite): Kermit Quisenberry; 4th: Sorin Stoica
MLS Career: 202 games; FC/gm: 25.0; Y/gm: 3.5; R: 72; pens: 73

SUSPENDED: none
WARNINGS:
SUSPENDED NEXT YELLOW CARD: CLB: Kei Kamara, Tony Tchani … DAL: Kellyn Acosta, Matt Hedges
SUSPENDED AFTER TWO YELLOW CARDS: CLB: Federico Higuain, Kevan George, Hector Jimenez, Emanuel Pogatetz, Justin Meram … DAL: Ryan Hollingshead, Victor Ulloa, Dan Kennedy
DISABLED LIST: CLB: Sagi Lev-Ari
INTERNATIONAL ABSENCES: CLB: Harrison Afful (Ghana; 9/1 vs. Congo; 9/5 at Rwanda); Sergio Campbell (Jamaica; 9/4 vs. Nicaragua, 9/8 at Nicaragua); Waylon Francis (Costa Rica; 9/5 vs. Brazil, 9/8 vs. Uruguay); Kevan George (Trinidad & Tobago; 9/4 vs. Mexico); Kei Kamara (Sierra Leone; 9/6 vs. Ivory Coast); Cedrick Mabwati (DR Congo; 9/5 at Central African Republic); Justin Meram (Iraq; 9/3 vs. Chinese Taipei, 9/8 at Thailand) … DAL: Tesho Akindele (Canada, 9/4 vs. Belize; 9/8 at Belize); Fabian Castillo (Colombia; 9/8 vs. Peru); Moises Hernandez (Guatemala; 9/4 at Antigua and Barbuda; 9/8 vs. Antigua and Barbuda); Blas Perez (Panama; 9/4 vs. Uruguay, 9/8 at Venezuela); Je-Vaughn Watson (Jamaica; 9/4 vs. Nicaragua, 9/8 at Nicaragua)

HEAD-TO-HEAD
ALL-TIME (43 meetings): Crew SC 18 wins (1 shootout), 60 goals … FC Dallas 16 wins (1 shootout), 58 goals … Ties 9
AT COLUMBUS (23 meetings): Crew SC 12 wins (0 shootout), 36 goals … FC Dallas 4 wins (0 shootout), 22 goals … Ties 7
LAST YEAR (MLS)
6/29: CLB 0, DAL 0

This is the only league meeting between the teams this season.
Crew SC have a three-game undefeated streak alive in the series with FC Dallas, with two wins followed by a scoreless draw in the only meeting between the teams a season ago, June 29 in Columbus.
The Crew have won four of the six league meetings since at home with FCD, with two draws. When Crew SC won 4-2 at Toyota Stadium on Sept. 29, 2013, it was their first win in Frisco since 2008.
Coaches record: Gregg Berhalter vs. DAL: P2 W0 L0 D2 … Oscar Pareja vs. CLB: P4 W2 L0 D2